Grain elevator



R. c. STONE. GII/IIN ELEvAToR. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 9, 1920.

R. C. STONE.

GRAIN ELEVATOH.

APPLICATION FxLEn1uNE9,192o.

11,433,754, Patented 00';l 31, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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RICHARD C. STONE, F ST. LOUS, MlSSOURI.

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. Appuanon sieri June e, iam. semaine. 387345.

which the :following is a lull, clear, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying; drawings, 'forming a part oit this specification.

rilfhis invention relates to improvements in grain elevators, and more particularlyto an elevator leg,` and certain elements 'combined therewith. @ne object oli the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive `means tor avoiding or minimizing the danger of explosions in grain elevators. il further object is to eliminate a very large percentitt'ed to accumulate in ,grain elevators,` where it is not only a lire hazard on account of the liability et dust explosions, but it is also a source ot discomfort, annoyance and inconvenience to persons employed in the eleva` tors. Another object is to `facilitate the delivery ol.: ircsh air to the grain while it in transit in the elevator, such ventilation beingespecially desirable while the grain is beingv turned or transferred troni one bin 'to another to would otherwise result from prolonged storage.

ln accordaiufe with the present invention,`

all et the 'foregoing objects can be attained by a'siinple combination ozA elements in clurfling' an elevatorlegprcvic 'witlia 'niple and inexpensive'dust-eliniiuating means,

. as will be. hereinafter described, ".vlierebv the tions of dust in variouspaits or the elevator building. The dust-eliminating means pret-H erably consists oi' a simple' ventilator combined with the elevator leg to cause a con-` stant circulation of air through the leg, and at the same time provide an outlet tor the .L dust laden air. p ln a grain elevator, a destructive `nre :le started b the iOnition of a small bodv l i s of explosive dust, it the resultant Allame or sparks are permitted to escape into a larger body et the dust, and the elevatorleg includes certain elements which under some prevent deterioration which` conditions produce sparks or flame whereby the dust 's readily ignited. Sparks resulting trom stat-ic electricity are sometimes formed adjacent to the belt and pulleys in an elevator leg, and under conditions the belt is retarded while the driving pulley at the top of the elevator leg is rotated, thus causing` friction `which results in intense heat, or lire, whereby any adjacent dust may be readily ignited. For these reasons eX- treme precaution should be taken to avoid explosions in an elevator leg, and since a minor explosion may occur in spite et the precautions herein pointed out,` itis iinporta'nt to minimize the eiieet 4of such explosions.

l therefore realize that under some unusual conditions, unexnlosion may occur in the elevator leg, even though the explosive dust is constantly discharged therefrom by the use ,of my dust-eliminating means, so l have herein disclosed a relief device correondinlr to a safety valve, whereby high re in an elevator leg may be instantly relitved. lr an explosion occurs in the eleA j or leg, this device will. permit tree escape el the resultant and sparks, .so as to prevent ignition et lareer body of explost insoiue other p the elevator. -li her object is toincr'ease the spacel for storage-of grain in an elevator and at the same time very Lateriallyreduce the initial cost ot the-elevator legs. Prior to this invention, elevator legs have been constructed' as individual units separate from the vertical Walls olf the elevator buildin@ and the ordinary practice has been to locate the legs p about two teet from the adjacent walls ot' the building so as to provide space for the workmen engaged in erecting the legs. This space has no value iter the storage oi grain, `and since the purpose ot a Lrain elevator 1 is toprovide storage spacel desire to eliminate the space between the elevator leg` and the building walls. To economize in the cost oit` the `elevator building,` l also utilise two or more walls ot the building as walls tor the elevator leg. Owing tothe value oit lthe storage space and also to the cost or erecting very tall elevator legs, the elimination of the space between the building` walls und the elevator and the elimination of two or more walls of each elevator legv are important ieatures of this invention.

Another obgect is to provide a simple ele- `vater leg made ot concrete and formed inwith the Walls of the elevator building.

A. further object is to improve the boot at the bottom of the elevator leg.

Fig. I is a vertical section illustrating a portion of an elevator building provided with a leg embodying the features of this invention.

F ig. II is a vertical section taken approximately through the center 'of the leg shown in I,l the elevating device being shown in elevation.

l? III is a horizontal section showing the elevator and certain Walls of the building` adjacent thereto.

Fig. Il] is an enlarged Vfragmentary `vertical section showing the discharge ducts and the ventilator at the top of the elevator leg. Fig. V is a vertical section taken approximately on the lineV-l/I, Fig. IV.

rl`he elevator comprises vertical outside iva-lis. l and 2, and vertical partition Walls 3 `whereby the building is divided into a number of grain bins l, as shown mostclearly in Certain vertical partition Walls, designated by 3 and 3b are associated with theoutside Wall l to form three Walls of an elevator leg A. The remaining Wall of the elevator legis designated by 3C. The elevator leg is thus formed by merely adding the single wall 3C to the Walls l, 3a and 3b which forni essential parts of the building structure. Therefore, the cost of the single Wall 3 III) may be considered as the total cost of the elevator leg. In addition to effecting a very material saving in the cost of the elevator building I economize in storage soace by eliminating the spaces between an ordinary elevator leg and the adjacent Walls ofthe building.

f The long vertical Walls of the elevator leg are preferably made of concrete. They are formed integral With each other and integral with the building structure. By malriug the leg in this manner, its inner faces can be perfectly smooth, and the entire leg can'be easily formed during the erectionof the building.

The elevator proper comprises a vertically arranged endless conveyor whereby the grain is carried-from an inlet at the bottom of the elevator leg to an outlet in the form of a discharge box 5 at the top of the elevator leg. The endless conveyor comprises a belt 6 and buckets Z secured thereto. The belt is mounted on a drive pulley 8 at the top of the elevator leg and' a smaller pulley 9 which lies in the boot B `at the bottom of the elevator leg. said boot having inlets 10 and li (Fig. II) for the admission of grain to the elevating device. The elevator leg and the boot are made of concrete, said leg being enlarged at the bottom to form a boot.

The 'boot comprises a bottom Wall 12 inclined upwardly at yoneside of the elevator cated at one side of the elevator structure and provided with an opening` 17 normally closed by a. suitable door 18. The grain ldumped into this opening 17 will fall onto an inclined Wall 'i9 leading to the intake opening l0 near the bo tom of the boot.

The discharge box 5 located near the top of the elevator leg. is open at one side to receive the grain discharge from the buckets i. The speed of the buckets is great enoughv `to discharge the grain into the discharge box 5. Near the lower portion of the discharge boX (llig. IV) ari-inclined deflector 2O is provided with a flexible extensionfl which projects into the elevator leg Where. it may be engaged by the descending buckets 7. The

`discharge boi; `provided With tivo discharge spouts 22 and 23 and amvalve .24 which may be shifted from` the position shown by full lines to the position shown by dotted lines in Fig. IV., so as to control the f delivery to either spout. The spout 22 leads to a. receptacle 2d@ and a spout 23 leads to a turn-spout 25 which may be shifted to direct the grain to different parts of the elevator structure. v

I Will novv describe the means for constantly discharging explosive dust from the elevator leg, and the safety closure adapted to yield in response to abnormal pressure in the elevator leg, so to relieve the pressure resulting from an explosion in the leg. C designates a safety closure seated by gravity on the top of the elevator leg so that it can be readily blown olf in response to abnormal pressure in the leg. ly above the grain elevating apparatus, and it is not attached or fastened in its closed position. This closure has a dust outlet 26 (Fig. IV) through which a constant stream of clust-laden air-is discharged. As a simple means for removing the dust and vat the .same time Ventilating the grain in the elevator leg,y I have shown a Wind-actuated ventilator 27 mounted on the safety closure C at a point directly above the dust outlet26.

Air currents may be admitted at the inlets 10 and ll (Fig. II) through Which grain is delivered to the boot. and in this event the incoming air would pass through the boot. However. these inlets are sometimes choked bythe incoming grain and it is desirable to have a. separate air inlet near the lower end This closure lies entireof the elevator leg. In Fig. Il, l have shown a fresh air inlet 30 in the wall l which lies adjacent to the rising elevator buckets that are filled with grain.v A vertically movable door or valve 3l Il), located at the inlet 30, may be adjusted to regulate the admission of fresh air at this inlet. A similar door 3Q, (Fig. Il) may be adjusted to open and close the inlet l0.

From the foregoing it will be readily understood that delivery of air to the bottom of the leg can Ibe regulated to obtain the most satisfactory circulation of air under different conditions.

Referring again to the concrete elevator leg, and especially to the upper portion thereof,I it will be noted that the concrete walls of the leg are continued to form the sides of elevator head, and that the driving pulley 8 is located very close to the safety closure C which forms the top wall of the` elevator head.

I claim:

l. A grain elevato-r having a vertical elevator leg provided with` a. grain inlet at its lower end and a grain outlet at its upper end said elevator leg` also having an air inlet at its lower end and a dust outlet at its upper end, and a wind-actuated ventilator whereby air is drawn into said elevator leg through said air inlet and discharged from said elevator leg through said dust outlet.

2. A grain elevator having' a. vertical elevator leg provided-with a grain inlet at its flower end and a grain outlet at its upper end, said elevator leg also having an air inlet at its lower end and a dustoutlet at its upper end, a wind-actuated ventilator wlierebyair is drawn into said elevator leg through said inlet and discharged from said elevator leg through said dust outlet, and means whereby the flow of air through said elevator leg may be regulated.

3. A grain elevator having a vertical elevator leg provided with a grain inlet at its lower end and a grain outlet at its upper end, said elevator leg also havingan air inlet at its lower end and a dust outlet at its upper end, a Wind-actuated ventilator whereby air` y is drawn into said elevator leg through said inlet and discharged from said elevator leg through said dust outlet, and means coin.- prising an adjustable closure at said air inlet whereby the flow of air through said ele vator leg may be regulated.

4. A grain elevator having a vertical elevator leg provided with a grain inlet at its` vator, and a pressure relieving closure for` said open upper end of said elevator leg, said closure being adapted to open in response to abnormal pressure in the elevator leg so as to relieve the pressure resulting from aneX.- plosion in the` leg. C

6. A grain elevator having a vertical elevater leg provided withk a grain inlet at its lower end and a grain outlet at its upper end, saidelevator leg also having a discharge opening, and an outwardly opening closure for said discharge opening, said closure being free to open in response to abnormal pressure `in the elevator leg so as to relieve the pressure resulting from an explosion in the leg, and said closure ,being provided with a normally open dust outlet. i

r. A grain elevator having an elevator leg` provided with a grain inlet at its `lower end and a grain outlet at its upper end, and a vertically arranged endless conveyor where by the grain is carried from said inlet and discharged into said grain outlet, said elevator leg also having a discharge openingat the top, a safety closure seated by gravity on the top of said leg, said closure being free to open. in response to abnormal pressure in the elevator leg, so as to relieve the pressure resulting from an explosion iii` the leg, and

`a wind-actuated ventilator located on said yRICHARD C. STONE.- 

